PM: C'tee to appease world

Flotilla probe to be headed by retired Supreme Court judge.

The decision to establish a committee to investigate the Gaza flotilla raid was made to appease the international community, said Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at a meeting of his Likud party on Monday.

Netanyahu added that "there is a difficult and continuing struggle against Israel being led by the country's enemies."

Earlier in the day, however, Netanyahu seems to be taking a different tack, telling his cabinet that the committee must give a "credible and convincing response" to the world.

The committee will be headed by retired Supreme Court judge Jacob Terkel, with the other Israeli members being international law expert Shabtai Rosen, and Maj.-Gen (res.) Amos Horev, who formerly served as president of the Technion.

"In consultation with Justice Minister Yaakov Neeman and Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein, I am, today, submitting to the cabinet a draft decision on establishing a special, independent public commission to inquire into the events of May 31, 2010," said Netanyahu.

According to the prime minister's proposal, except for IDF
Chief-of-Staff Lt.-Gen. Gaby Ashkenazi, IDF soldiers will not testify
before the commission. The army will instead provide the commission the
summaries of its own operational investigations - chaired by Maj.-Gen.
(ret.) Giora Eiland.

"I estimate that the cabinet's decision this morning to establish a
special, independent public commission will make it clear to the entire
world that the State of Israel acts according to law, transparently, and
with full responsibility, " Netanyahu concluded.

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